The invention relates to a passenger vehicle.
DE 10 2010 054 917 A1 discloses a front-end carrier which has a cross member element and at least two lateral strut elements which are connected to each other via the cross member element and extend downwards in the vertical direction of the vehicle from the cross member element and are connected to each other via a further cross member element. A cooling module is accommodated between the strut elements.
WO 2011/058152 A1 discloses a vehicle, in the front region of which a flexible cross member of a bumper is connected via energy absorption elements, also referred to as crash absorbers or crash boxes, to longitudinal supports of a main longitudinal support plane arranged behind. Lateral strut elements project downwards away from the bumper-flexible cross member, the strut elements being connected at their lower end to a lower cross member.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,681,770 B2 discloses a motor vehicle having a bumper arrangement which comprises a flexible cross member, upstream of which an absorber element, which can be deformed in an energy-absorbing manner in the event of impact on the front of the vehicle, is arranged. This extends downwards away from the bumper-flexible cross member to the level of a motor support and over a significant width of the front of the vehicle.
Modern vehicles are often designed to be relatively flat in the front region which gives the vehicles a sporty look. In this case, their main longitudinal support plane having the bumper-flexible cross member is arranged at a lower height from the road, just as frequently for smaller motor vehicles as, for example, for motor vehicles with high ground clearance and a high slope angle, for example off-road vehicles or pickup trucks. Therefore, in the case of such a low front structure, there is the risk that, in the event of a collision with a large/high motor vehicle, the crash structure of the main longitudinal support plane of the vehicle, in which main longitudinal support plane the bumper-flexible cross member is also located, is not activated with the relatively low front structure and what is known as driving underneath occurs, which increases the risk of injury to the occupants or at least increases the loads acting on them.
The object of the present invention is to create a passenger vehicle by means of which a particularly advantageous accident performance of the passenger vehicle can be achieved.
The passenger vehicle has a front-end carrier having at least one cross member element and at least two lateral front strut elements which are connected to one another via the cross member element and extend downwards in the vertical direction of the vehicle away from the cross member element. Furthermore, a first longitudinal support plane is provided, in which lateral longitudinal supports and associated energy absorption elements, which are at least indirectly connected to a flexible cross member of a bumper which extends at least substantially in the transverse direction of the vehicle, are arranged. This first longitudinal support plane is arranged below the front-end carrier as seen in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The front-end carrier is supported on this first longitudinal support plane, which is also referred to as the main longitudinal support plane, via the front strut elements. Furthermore, lateral energy absorption elements are provided, which serve to form a further load plane, are arranged above the first longitudinal support plane and below the upper cross member element, which are connected to the respective front strut element or are integrated into the respective front strut element and which each have a support region which projects rearwardly beyond the respective front strut element in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Furthermore, at least one structural component, for example a rear strut element, is provided which can be arranged or is arranged behind the respective energy absorption element, on which structural component the energy absorption element can be supported or is supported by its support region.
The passenger vehicle according to the invention is thus characterized in that, in the region between the first longitudinal support plane having the bumper-flexible cross member and the upper cross member element of the front-end carrier, a further load plane or an additional load path is provided, in which collision-induced forces are introduced or transferred into the body structure of the passenger vehicle and are also reduced by deformation of the energy absorption elements of the additional load plane by means of corresponding energy absorption elements which are also referred to as crash absorbers, crash energy absorbers or crash boxes. The arrangement of the additional load path prevents driving underneath a higher collision partner, i.e., for example, an off-road vehicle whose bumper-flexible cross member is not hit and thus the main longitudinal support plane of the passenger vehicle according to the invention is also not activated. The additional crash structure above the main longitudinal support plane, which are supported by means of front strut elements on this longitudinal support plane arranged below, however, is activated and at least partially absorbs the forces introduced by the collision partner and preferably also ensures a transfer thereof via the front strut elements to the main longitudinal supports arranged below.
In principle, it is possible that an energy absorption element, which can be formed from at least one organic sheet, is integrated into at least one of the front strut elements. In other words, the energy absorption element has at least one organic sheet or is produced using at least one organic sheet.
Due to the energy absorption elements provided in the additional load path, an at least substantially rectangular force-displacement characteristic can be implemented such that accident energy can be absorbed particularly advantageously and in particular guided. In addition, the energy absorption element and thus the front-end carrier can be designed as a whole with lightweight construction since the weight of the energy absorption element and thus of the front-end carrier can be kept low as a whole.
An organic sheet is generally understood to be a fiber composite material which comprises at least one plastic as a matrix or plastic matrix and reinforcing fibers which are embedded into the plastic matrix. The plastic or the plastic matrix is preferably a thermoplastic, such that a particularly high forming capability, in particular hot forming capability, of the organic sheet can be achieved. The organic sheet is, in particular, a fiber-matrix semi-finished product which can be formed similarly to semi-finished sheet products, in particular sheet metal plates. As a result, it is possible for the organic sheet to be formed for the production of the energy absorption element as required and in a cost-effective manner. The reinforcing fibers are preferably glass fibers, aramid fibers, natural fibers and/or carbon fibers.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the organic sheet has a folded structure. By means of such a folded organic sheet structure, for example, a sufficient stiffness of the energy absorption element can be achieved such that an undesirable and, for example, early kinking can be prevented. At the same time, a particularly high energy absorption capacity of the energy absorption element can be shown such that a particularly high amount of accident energy is absorbed or can be absorbed by means of the energy absorption element by deforming the energy absorption element.
It has been found to be particularly advantageous if the organic sheet has a hollow cross-section at least in a partial region. The hollow cross-section can be an open or closed hollow cross-section. As a result, the weight of the energy absorption element and thus of the front-end carrier can be kept low while at the same time achieving the particularly advantageous accident behavior.
A further embodiment is characterized in that the organic sheet is provided with a plastic for stiffening the organic sheet. By providing the organic sheet with a plastic, the organic sheet can be stiffened in a targeted manner as required such that, for example, an undesirable bulging and kinking of the energy absorption element can be avoided during the deformation process. In particular, it is possible to provide the organic sheet with the plastic locally and therefore in a targeted manner and therefore stiffen it locally, such that a low weight is achieved and the accident behavior of the energy absorption element can be adjusted in a targeted manner. By using plastic, it is in particular possible to prevent kinking of the energy absorption element, which acts as a crash absorber, when colliding with an inclined barrier which is inclined, for example, by at least substantially ten degrees. It is also possible to prevent bulging of the energy absorption element.
In order to stiffen the organic sheet or the energy absorption element particularly effectively and in a space-saving manner, in a further embodiment of the invention, provision is made for the plastic to be at least partially accommodated in the hollow cross-section.
It has been found to be particularly advantageous if stiffening ribs are formed by the plastic. As a result, a stiffening structure can be formed, by means of which the organic sheet is stiffened in a particularly weight-efficient and effective manner.
In order to avoid an undesirable kinking and bulging of the energy absorption element during an accident in a particularly safe manner, at least one of the stiffening ribs, for example, extends continuously from a first wall which at least partially delimits the hollow cross-section to an opposing second wall of the organic sheet which at least partially delimits the hollow cross-section, wherein the at least one stiffening rib is supported on these walls or is connected to the walls. As a result, undesirable collapsing of the hollow cross-section can be safely avoided, for example.
In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that at least two of the stiffening ribs extend diagonally with respect to one another, in particular crosswise, in order to stiffen the organic sheet in a particularly effective manner.
A further embodiment is characterized in that the plastic is injection molded onto the organic sheet. In other words, the organic sheet is provided with the plastic by means of an injection molding method. As a result, the energy absorption element and thus the front-end carrier can be produced in a particularly cost-effective manner while at the same time achieving particularly advantageous accident behavior.
Finally, it has been shown to be particularly advantageous if the at least one strut element, into which the energy absorption element is integrated, is formed from a plastic. It has been shown to be particularly advantageous here if the strut element is injection molded onto the organic sheet. In other words, it is conceivable to produce the at least one strut element by means of an injection molding process and thus to injection mold or overmold the at least one organic sheet with a plastic, from which the strut element is produced. As a result, the energy absorption element can be integrated into the at least one strut element in a particularly simple and cost-effective manner.
Further advantages, features and details of the invention emerge from the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments as well as with the aid of the drawings.